Golf wrap: Scottie Scheffler strikes again, dream double for Swedes and Scot pipped at St Andrews

Scottie Scheffler celebrates his win in the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday with wife Meredith, son Bennett Scheffler, tournament host Jack Nicklaus and Barbara Nicklaus at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. Picture: Michael Reaves/Getty Images.

Scottie Scheffler has struck again, holing a testing par putt on the final hole to land his fifth PGA Tour win of the season in the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday.

The 27-year-old cemented his position as the world No 1 with a hard-earned one-shot success over fellow American Collin Morikawa at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio.

The victory saw Scheffler become just the seventh player to land five wins or more on the circuit in a season since 1983 and the first to do so before the US Open since Tom Watson in 1980.

Swede Linn Grant shows off the trophy after winning the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed at Vasatorps Golfklubb in her homwtown of Helsingborg. Picture: Luke Walker/Getty Images.

“This is a tough place to close out,” said Scheffler after making just one birdie in a closing 74 to finish with an eight-under-par total as he came out on top in the event hosted by the game’s greatest player, Jack Nicklaus. “I didn’t do a whole lot great today, but I did enough.”

Scheffler won The Masters for a second time in three years in April and now heads into this week’s US Open at Pinehurst as a red-hot favouritie.

In finishing third, Canadian Adam Hadwin secured the spot up for grabs in the 152nd Open at Royal Troon next month as the leading player in the field not exempt for the season’s final major.

Linn Grant and Linnea Strom pull off dream double for Swedes

Coxmoor's Seb Cave shows off the trophy after winning the Links Trophy in St Andrews. Picture: Links Trust

Calum Hill recorded his best finish on the DP World Tour since landing a breakthrough win in 2021 as Linn Grant claimed her second victory in the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed title in three years in her hometown of Helsingborg.

On a dramatic final day at Vasatorps Golfklubb, Grant overturned an 11-shot deficit through a combination of her own brilliance and compatriot Sebastian Soderberg having a nightmare after starting the closing circuit with an eight-shot cushion.

It was the largest final-round comeback in DP World Tour, adding to Linn having already made history in the event in 2022 when she became the first female winner on the circuit.

“Very mixed emotions,” admitted Grant, whose grandfather, James, won the Scottish Boys’ Championship before turning professional and moving to Sweden, as she reflected on signing off with a 65 for a 17-under-par total to finish a shot ahead of both Soderberg and Hill.

“I feel terrible for Sebastian at the moment. I don’t even have words for it. I can’t imagine how he feels. At the same time, I’m so surprised standing here as a winner again, in my hometown. It’s amazing.”

Grant carded six birdies on her first ten holes before chipping in from just off the green at the last to set the clubhouse target but, at that point in the proceedings, Soderberg still led by three shots with six holes left to play.

But, after dropping shots at both the 13th and 15th holes, his cushion was down to just one standing on the 18th tee and, in a horror finish, a short bogey putt horseshoed around the hole to hand Grant her sixth LET title triumph. “I’m so speechless. I can’t really believe it,” she admitted.

In contrast to Soderberg, who will be feeling sore about a closing 77 for a long time to come, it ended up as a satisfying outcome for Hill after picking up three shots in the last five holes to sign for a 69. The effort earned the 29-year-old a pay-day worth just under €160,000.

Later in the day, Linnea Strom completed a dream double for Sweden as she landed a breakthrough win on the LPGA Tour with a one-shot victory in the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer.

The 27-year-old signed off with a 60 at the Seaview, Bay Course in Galloway, New Jersey, to finish a shot ahead of Japan’s Ayaka Furue and American Megan Khang.

Calum Scott pipped by Seb Cave in Links Trophy at St Andrews

Nairn’s Calum Scott came up just short in his bid to land a home success in the Links Trophy as success in St Andrews went instead to England’s Seb Cave after a keenly contested final 36 holes on the Old Course.

In his first outing on Scottish soil since ending his latest college campaign in the US, Scott signed off with rounds of 69 and 71 to end up on four under, sharing second spot as overnight leader Cave from Coxmoor in Derbyshire overcame a ragged third round to win by two shots.

The win catapulted Cave into pole position in the Open Amateur Qualifying series across the St Andrews Links Trophy, European Amateur Championship and the Amateur Championship for a spot in The 152nd Open in Ayrshire.

“It feels amazing,” said Cave of joining Justin Rose on the list of English players to claim this coveted prize. “You can’t really get much bigger than this as an amateur. I’ve never really seemed to crack it round here, but I came here with a good mindset and I genuinely believe having my girlfriend on the bag has helped massively and I just stayed chilled. I didn’t know where I was coming down the stretch and I just tried to play golf and I loved every minute of it.”